Five fast impressions after seeing the new 'Ghostbusters'

Thirty years after the original 'Ghostbusters' became an instant classic, it's back with an all-female crew ready to fight the supernatural in a fresh new way.

Occasionally, a movie manages to become even bigger than itself. That's certainly the case with the new Ghostbusters (in theaters Friday).

It's hard enough to follow up the 1984 classic comedy beloved by fans for decades (even if 1989's Ghostbusters II was entirely unforgivable). But when director Paul Feig had the audacity to replace the male cast with four of today's funniest women — Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon — the backlash began in earnest, with the loudest voices carrying a clear misogynist tone.

The new Ghostbusters have chemistry (along with degrees in physics, engineering, etc.).

The casting of four women as the new Ghostbusters has drawn praise and criticism, but there’s no denying the comedic chops of the actresses donning the trademark tan jumpsuits. They play off each other well, with McKinnon’s Jillian Holtzmann a clear standout, mixing brainiac daftness with a touch of flirty naughtiness that would have made Bill Murray’s Peter Venkman proud. Jones’ Patty Tolan, the subway worker who joins the team, is just as smart and a little more grounded than her wraith-wrestling colleagues.

Keep your eyes open for tributes.

Feig’s film honors the original, with cameos by inaugural Ghostbusters Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson, along with a funny, touching and brief homage to the late Harold Ramis. Original ghosts appear, too, including Slimer and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

They ain’t afraid of no trolls.

Harsh Internet criticism of the trailer and casting gets an onscreen shout-out as McCarthy's Abby Yates and Wiig's Erin Gilbert read online comments after one of their ghost hunts that suggest, in sanitized parlance, that women have no business hunting ghosts. Their apt conclusion: Don't read the comments.

Ghosts have screen presence, but the villain is underwhelming.

Special effects have come a long way in 30 years. Let's face it, even the hilarious Slimer is seriously dated, as is the creature who lurked in the refrigerator in the original. Feig's new generation of ghosts are elaborately shot and impressive, especially Bess Rous as the slime-projecting Gertrude Aldridge Ghost.

But the new Ghostbusters has a villain problem: The new baddie is as middling evil as a guy named Rowan North (a troubled nerd played by actor and SNL writer Neil Casey) can be.

Even when Rowan takes on other forms, this villain gets lost in the convoluted and frankly underwhelming final act.